Review: Whisper of the Tide by Sarah Tolcser
SYNOPSIS:
The second in the immersive series set along the waterways of a fantasy world, perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir.
Caro has settled into a routine: Wake, eat breakfast, try to figure out who is going attempt to assassinate Markos today. The currents aren’t exactly calm. Markos is in constant danger, and his claim to the Akhaian throne is largely unsupported. Without military strength he doesn’t have a chance. Relief appears on the horizon when a powerful Archon wants to side with Markos in his fight for the throne. But in exchange for an army, Markos must marry the Archon’s daughter. They must decide which is more important: their love for each other or the fate of Akhaia. And Caro will have to decide if her destiny is to sail with the tide, or chart her own course.
With shipwrecks, lost treasure, old and new enemies, dark magic, and devastating romance, Sarah Tolcser weaves another epic story about chasing fate.
REVIEW:
*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*
I got to be honest, after an enticing debut novel, I was looking forward to diving into this world and seeing what Caro gets up to next…but I didn’t like how any of this story played out. It almost seemed like too much and therefore amongst all the chaos, Caro and Markos get lost.
It was endless concerns and drama, will Markos get assassinated, who should Markos alliance with, who do you trust, what is the Sea God up to, what about the Lion God, there was just so many external factors happening. And I wasn’t a fan. I am all for Caro being a general bad-*ss, a trend she continues from the first book. But where as Song of the Current did her budding relationship with Markos justice, the romance in this story was overshadowed by drama, deception, and just felt cheap. There were moments when Caro (age 17) was referred to as the mistress of the Emparch…and honestly both Caro and Markos deserved so much more respect.
Then there is the ending, which didn’t really feel like much of a conclusion. There is some closure over the Sea God drama, but there were so many loose threads that unfortunately will never be tied up. What about Markos’ sister who was eluded to being touched by the Lion God? What about the world?! We spent the whole book learning about the complex politics of the land, alliances, and whose who…but yet Markos just throws it all away and goes sailing with Caro? I have questions, many, many questions.
It still had its moments of adventure and action, and those moment were what I clung to while reading. They were what were making me turn the pages and continue on…I just wish the story had more of them. Honestly, this just felt like a case of the second-book slump.
LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
